I've decided to give this project a whirl even though I only have very basic skills in virtualdub. I was just gonna do a straight crop down to 2.39:1 but the framing just seemed way too tight. I don't have the DVD for reference, but maybe I'll hunt it down. Lord knows I don't have a print to use. :)
I also tried testing framing at 2.21:1 (70mm) and that seems to work better. This would mean having to crop a bit off the sides for all the shots that aren't IMAX though. I actually have setup my screen at this ratio because of the way my projector handles zooming, I don't have to physically move it in order to get 1.78 and 1.85 to fit right on the screen. Sure, I'm cropping a little bit off the sides for all scope films, but it's barely noticeable during a screening. Harmy's DE look amazing at 2.21:1!
Any advice on this would be welcome, as it is my first big leap into virtualdub with something that isn't just a trailer re-formatted for my common height screen.
I'd like to preserve the bit rate as much as possible, so any tips on how to re-compress when finished would be helpful.